Survey suggests opinions of youth can affect even parents’ car purchase decisions
Parents listen to kids especially when it comes to buying sweets, salty snacks, and mobile phones
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Youngsters - even those who have already moved away from home - have a strong effect on their parents’ consumer habits.
Mothers and fathers slap down their credit and debit cards to a value of at least EUR 400 million each year relying on their 15- to 26-year-old offspring’s opinions, reveals a recent survey by Music Television MTV.
The youngsters’ opinions matter most commonly when it comes to everyday shopping for food - sweets and breakfast cereals in particular - or items of personal hygiene. Furthermore, the opinions of younger family members also count when parents try to decide what type of mobile phones or home electronics to buy.
For the survey, 600 Finnish youngsters and 400 parents were interviewed. The same poll was also conducted in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. In the neighbouring countries the influence of the youth was similar to that observed in Finland.
The families spent EUR 400 million in the categories mentioned in the survey alone, so in reality the opinions of the youngsters are of even higher value.
Despite the considerable volumes of the consumed snacks, the opinions of the youth have their most significant financial impact through the families’ car and furniture buying decisions - even if the majority of parents do not readily admit that their children have a say in such matters.
According to MTV, for example one in ten cars has been bought to satisfy the criteria of the offspring. This translates to decisions worth EUR 100 million per year. The flat-screen televisions acquired because of the influence of teenagers also constitute a considerable outlay of money.
In the view of MTV country and channel director Erja Morottaja, in this respect advertising lags slightly behind.
Most of the car commercials, for one, are still fairly conservative and aimed at 50-year-old buyers. Advertising specialists agree: most automobile and furniture advertising does little to address the younger set's interests.
According to Morottaja, especially children who have set up their own homes are seen by parents as valuable additional experts - especially when it comes to home electronics.
Nearly a third of parents believe that their children know more about electronic gadgets than they do.
The youngsters themselves regard their own expertise even higher.
Nearly half of the 15 to 26-year-olds claim they know more about home electronics than their parents do. A fifth of them believe they are the real experts when it comes to travelling, and just under a fifth think they know more about cars than daddy does.
As for "mummy knows best", clearly this does not play when it comes to buying things.
Helsingin Sanomat
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| 8.4.2009 - TODAY |
 Survey suggests opinions of youth can affect even parents’ car purchase decisions
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